Union Pacific reports record coal hauling from Wyoming mines

Union Pacific reports record coal hauling from Wyoming mines

Union Pacific hauled 194 million tons of coal away from northeast Wyoming mines last year, the railroad reported Monday.

Much of that coal comes through Nebraska on UP lines headed to utilities farther east. The company’s headquarters is in Omaha and it employs about 8,000 people in Nebraskas.

The railroad’s coal traffic last year was up 15 million tons of coal over 2005, enough to generate a year’s worth of electricity for nearly 2.5 million homes.

The company expects rail line improvements in Wyoming to help boost capacity on the joint line owned by Union Pacific and BNSF Railway, also a big Nebraska employer.

In 2005, coal consumption nationwide increased 1.9 percent, to 1,128.3 million tons, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Wyoming produced 406.4 million tons of that to remain the leading coal-producing state in the nation.

Besides the jointly owned line on the south end of the basin, BNSF has another line that enters from the north. Officials at the Fort Worth, Texas, railroad have said BNSF was hauling about 10 percent more coal systemwide last year.

On the Net: Union Pacific Corp.: http://www.up.com Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway: http://www.bnsf.com

U.S. Energy Information Administration: http://www.eia.doe.gov

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